LARKANA: The ongoing protests against the construction of new canals on the Indus River entered their third day with widespread sit-ins and shutter-down strikes across various cities in Sindh.
The protests have intensified, with lawyers continuing their sit-in at the Babarloi Bypass in Khairpur, and business activities severely disrupted in multiple regions of the province.
In addition to the sit-ins, shutter-down strikes have been observed in key cities such as Jamshoro, Larkana, Naushehro Feroz, Sujawal, Nawabshah, and Ghotki. Local markets, shops, and petrol stations have been closed, and business activities in towns like Ratodero, Baqrani, Dokri, and Badah in Larkana district have been suspended.
In Jamshoro and Nawabshah, shops have also been shut down, and similar actions have been reported in Sujawal, Ghotki, Kandhkot, Shahdadkot, and Kashmore.
Nationalist political groups have joined the protests, with several blocking the National Highway at Halani and Kandiaro, which resulted in the suspension of vehicular traffic between Sindh and Punjab.
Protestors have expressed their opposition to the canal projects, claiming that they would turn Sindh’s fertile lands into a desert, jeopardizing the livelihoods of local farmers and communities.
Speakers at various protests have denounced the canal constructions, describing them as part of a larger conspiracy to deprive Sindh of its water resources. The protests continue to grow in size and intensity, with more cities expected to join the strike in the coming days.
